1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape printing apparatus having a body formed with a pocket for removably loading a cartridge containing a tape-like member as a printing object material, and more particularly to a tape printing apparatus of this kind which is capable of loading a various kinds of cartridges different in height.
2. Prior Art
A conventional tape printing apparatus of this kind has been proposed e.g. by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-122239, which prints desired characters on a plain tape by the use of an ink ribbon, and cuts off a printed portion from the tape to form a label. The tape and the ink ribbon as consumable articles are contained in a cartridge as rolls around respective reels, and provided in this state for use in the apparatus. The apparatus has a pocket formed in a body thereof for removably loading the cartridge therein from above as well as drive shafts for feeding the tape and the ink ribbon and a print head for printing on the tape, which extend in the pocket.
The proposed tape printing apparatus uses five different kinds of tape and five different kinds of ink ribbon, which vary in width (6 mm, 9 mm, 12 mm, 18 mm, and 24 mm), and two kinds of cartridges different in height which accommodate corresponding kinds of tape and ink ribbon (one kind for tapes and ink ribbons having widths of 6 mm, 9 mm, and 12 mm, and the other kind for those having widths of 18 mm and 24 mm). Further, the apparatus is provided with a print head having an array of heating elements which corresponds in size to the ink ribbon having the maximum width so as to suit five kinds of ink ribbons (and tapes) which are different in width. Each of the two kinds of cartridges different in height is loaded in the same pocket such that it is seated on the bottom plate of the pocket. Therefore, to facilitate the removal of a cartridge even if it has a small height, deep grooves are formed on opposite inner walls of the pocket for the user to insert fingers therein in removing the cartridge having the small height.
Recently, a tape having an even larger width (e.g. 36 mm) is desired to be used for tape printing apparatuses of this kind. To use such a tape having a still larger width, a cartridge having a even larger height is necessary, and at the same time, the tape printing apparatus per se is required to have a larger height so as to form a deeper pocket therein. If the deeper pocket is provided, deeper grooves are necessarily required to be formed therefor so as to facilitate the removal of cartridges therefrom. As a matter of fact, the grooves are also required to have a larger width. Otherwise, the fingers cannot be properly inserted therein, so that without deeper and wider grooves, it is impossible for the user to take out a cartridge having a small height from such a even deeper pocket. Accordingly, the tape printing apparatus is required to have a larger width. The inconvenience of unnecessary increase in size for easy removal of cartridges can be avoided so long as the use of the cartridge having the smallest height is abolished, and tapes (as well as ink ribbons) having widths of 6 mm, 9 mm, and 12 mm are contained in a cartridge having a medium height. However, this makes it impossible to use small-height cartridges which are already available on the market.
Further, the print head employed in this kind of tape printing apparatus is arranged such that it is slightly urged toward the tape and ink ribbon mainly at a central portion thereof so as to cause the array of heating elements to be brought into contact with the ink ribbon in a uniform fashion. Therefore, if a narrow tape received within a small-height cartridge is fed to a print head suitable for a wide tape, the print head can contact the ink ribbon and tape at a location largely deviated from the center of the print head.